Fire at Bagerhat building kills one, 80 rescued
The deceased has been identified as Anita Roy, 40, a domestic worker who died from suffocation caused by smoke. She worked at the residence of a doctor named Tapas, who lived in the building. Her body has been recovered
A fire broke out at a five-storey building in the Sadar union under Chitalmari upazila of Bagerhat around 8:30am today (7 April 2025), leaving one woman dead and prompting a large-scale rescue operation by the army, police, and fire service.
The deceased has been identified as Anita Roy, 40, a domestic worker who died from suffocation caused by smoke. She worked at the residence of a doctor named Tapas, who lived in the building. Her body has been recovered.
Officer-in-Charge of Chitalmari police station SM Shahadat Hossain said, "Around 8:30am today, locals saw smoke and flames suddenly rising from a five-storey building in Chitalmari Sadar union. Upon being informed, eight fire service units arrived and began efforts to extinguish the fire. After nearly four hours of effort, the fire was fully controlled."
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The building contained multiple establishments. The ground floor housed a marketplace, the second floor held branches of Sonali Bank, Krishi Bank, IFIC Bank, and Bank Asia, the third floor had a private clinic, and the fourth and fifth floors were used for residential purposes. The entire building became engulfed in smoke due to the fire.
Khulna Fire Service's Deputy Director Motiar Rahman said, "Upon receiving the news of a fire in a five-storey building in Chitalmari Sadar union, eight units from Khulna, Bagerhat, and Gopalganj were deployed to the scene. After arriving, they worked for nearly three and a half hours, spraying water, and by around 12:30pm, the fire was brought completely under control."
He added, "The fire is initially suspected to have started from an electrical short circuit in a clothing store on the ground floor of the building."
Captain Mohammad Raihan from the Bagerhat Army Camp said, "Upon receiving the news of the fire, we arrived to find the building surrounded by smoke. Patients in the clinic and some residents in the building were trapped. Army personnel entered the building and safely evacuated them. In total, at least 80 people were safely rescued, and the patients were taken to the hospital."
While the blaze has been extinguished, authorities are yet to determine the extent of the financial damage caused by the incident.
